pennon

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

n. A long narrow banner or streamer borne upon a lance.

n. A pennant, banner, or flag.

n. A pinion; a wing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

n. A thin triangular flag or streamer, especially as hung from the end of a lance or spear.

n. A pennant; a long pointed streamer or flag on a vessel.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

n. A wing; a pinion.

n. A pennant; a flag or streamer.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

n. A flag; an ensign; especially, in Europe in the middle ages, the flap; of the knight bachelor, or knight who had not yet reached the dignity of banneret. It is usually described as being pointed at the fly, but the swallow-tail flag is also described as a pennon.

n. In heraldry, in modern ceremonial, as at funerals, a long and narrow flag, usually from four to five feet long, on which are depicted the owner's arms or a part of them, as the crest and motto.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Examples

The soldiery of the Rhinegrave have mutinied, plucked down the banners of their master, and set up an independent ensign, which they call the pennon of St. Nicholas, under which they declare that they will maintain peace with God, and war with all the world.

The great standard, in the Maiden's wars, was to be used for the rallying of all her host; the pennon was a signal to those who fought around her, as guards of her body; and about the banner afterwards gathered, for prayer and praise, those men, confessed and clean of conscience, whom she had called and chosen.

But take my advice, and whilst thou travellest under an English pennon, take heed that thou keepest off this conversation in the hall and kitchen, where perhaps the soldier may be less tolerant than the officer; and now, in a word, what is thy legend of this Dangerous

A magnificent pile of cushions at the head of the banquet seemed prepared for the master of the feast, and such dignitaries as he might call to share that place of distinction; while from the roof of the tent in all quarters, but over this seat of eminence in particular, waved many a banner and pennon, the trophies of battles won and kingdoms overthrown.

The central hut, which represented the pavilion of the leader, was distinguished by his swallow-tailed pennon, placed on the point of a spear, from which its long folds dropped motionless to the ground, as if sickening under the scorching rays of the Asiatic sun.

The noble animal seemed to understand the purpose of their watch; for he looked from time to time at the rich folds of the heavy pennon, and, when the cry of the sentinels came from the distant lines and defences of the camp, he answered them with one deep and reiterated bark, as if to affirm that he too was vigilant in his duty.

If it was thought necessary to show more clearly the nature of the conflict, it might be indicated by the pennon of Saint George being displayed at one end of the lists, and that of Saint Andrew at the Other.

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"Later, the two of them had walked the high battlements above Mid-World's last living city--green and gorgeous Gilead in the morning sun, with its pennons flapping and the vendors in the streets of the Old Quarter and horses trotting on the bridle paths which radiated out from the palace standing at the heart of everything." From Wizard and Glass by Stephen King.